By the team's rules, every payout was divided strictly according to contribution.
No one argued with the system.
That was the only reason a crew like this could stay together in Night City.
The total reward for the mission was 200,000 eurodollars.
First, 60,000—thirty percent—was set aside for Dorio as the team's shared fund.
This wasn't personal income.
It covered ammunition, medical supplies, emergency bribes, vehicle repairs, and the hundred little expenses that kept a mercenary crew alive.
From the remaining 140,000, the largest cut naturally went to Sasha.
70,000 eurodollars.
No one objected.
Whether it had been target acquisition, route tracking, or battlefield support, nearly eighty percent of the mission's real work had rested on her shoulders.
She had earned every cent.
Falco received 20,000 for the driving and extraction.
In Night City, a good driver was sometimes worth more than a gunner.
Rebecca and Pilar's medical supplies and emergency consumables would be replenished directly from the team fund, so those costs were not counted separately as personal shares.
Dorio, Rebecca, and Pilar each took 10,000.
Even if they hadn't fired many shots, they had still provided armed support and cover.
As for Maine—
he took 20,000.
No one found that strange either.
The crew existed because Maine was strong enough to hold it together.
His presence alone was insurance.
In Night City, power itself had a price.
And twenty thousand was a fair one.
At first glance the numbers might not seem extraordinary.
But in Night City, the average monthly income hovered around 3,000 to 3,500 eurodollars, and that figure was already inflated by corporate salaries from giants like Arasaka, Militech, Night Corp, Kang Tao, and Biotechnica.
For people at the bottom?
A thousand a month was enough to keep a roof overhead.
Seven or eight hundred was more common.
Even merc crews risking their lives considered 5,000 a month per head good money.
Ten thousand could already buy high-end cyberware.
A premium Kiroshi optic ran around 3,000, and even top-shelf models rarely exceeded 12,000.
So, getting ten grand for what had essentially been a quick run?
That was practically free money.
No wonder everyone was in a good mood.
Pilar, however, looked deeply dissatisfied.
"Seriously," he muttered, arms folded, "did this job really end that easily?"
He clicked his tongue.
"I barely did anything. It's frustrating as hell."
Every head in the room turned toward him.
Rebecca's expression instantly darkened.
Then she kicked him in the shin.
Hard.
"Shut up."
Pilar yelped.
"What the hell was that for?!"
Rebecca pointed a finger in his face.
"Because every time you say something like that, something goes wrong."
Pilar opened his mouth.
Rebecca cut him off before he could speak.
"No. Don't. Jinx. It."
Maine sighed and rubbed his temple.
Even with the payout settled, nobody fully relaxed.
Arasaka was still out there.
The crew quietly tightened their perimeter around Victor's clinic.
If the corporation decided to move tonight, they would at least be ready.
At the Afterlife, Rogue stared at the message on her screen with a look that bordered on disbelief.
"What the hell does this have to do with me?"
She leaned back in her chair, frowning.
"Assassinating Saburo Arasaka?"
She snorted.
"I'm good, but I'm not suicidal."
Without wasting another second, she called Xiao directly.
The line connected.
Before she could say anything, Xiao's calm voice came through.
"Make an announcement."
Rogue narrowed her eyes.
"About what?"
"That Huanyu Group is taking responsibility for Saburo Arasaka's death."
Silence.
Then Rogue nearly laughed.
"You're serious?"
Xiao's tone remained perfectly calm.
"Under company protection clauses, V and Jack successfully escaped under agent immunity. Arasaka no longer has the right to pursue them."
Rogue stared at the glass in her hand.
Then at the city lights beyond the bar.
Then back at the comm.
"…You're actually doing this."
Xiao gave a quiet chuckle.
"Night City likes legends."
He swirled the wine in his glass.
"So, I'm giving it one."
Rogue exhaled slowly.
"The Mechanicus is strong, sure."
Her voice sharpened.
"But you're talking about Arasaka."
"War machines. Carrier fleets. Orbital weapons."
"Are you trying to get yourself erased?"
Xiao smiled.
"Night City may call itself independent."
"But it still sits under NUSA's shadow."
His voice turned colder.
"If Arasaka tries another carrier deployment, let's see whether Myers dares let that happen on American soil."
Rogue fell silent.
He wasn't wrong.
No corporation in Night City could openly escalate too far without provoking Militech and the NUSA.
That balance of terror was the only reason the city still functioned.
Finally Rogue sighed.
"Fine."
"You're the boss."
Then her expression turned curious.
"What's the real plan?"
Xiao's answer came without hesitation.
"I'm restructuring."
A pause.
"Then I'm going public."
Another pause.
"And after that, I'm launching space operations."
Rogue blinked.
"…You're serious."
"Huanyu Group," Xiao said, almost amused. "A global giant."
Rogue let out a dry laugh.
"That's one hell of a name."
Then her tone sharpened.
"The European Community won't approve that."
Xiao's reply came instantly.
"I don't need their approval."
His voice turned ice-cold.
"Approval is courtesy."
"If they refuse, I'll remove the obstacle."
Rogue went silent for a moment.
Then muttered only one thing.
"…Right."
After a beat, she added more seriously:
"Just so you know, ESA and the High Knights control orbital space tighter than anyone."
"Even Arasaka got sanctioned for private launches."
"Half a year ago they had to bury an entire table of ESA board members just to dodge the fallout."
She paused.
"And even then, they still had to hand over half their counter-intelligence division as scapegoats."
For once, Xiao didn't laugh.
Instead, his voice came low and certain.
"Then they'll learn."
The line went dead.
Rogue stared at the disconnected screen for a long while.
Then she muttered to herself:
"Either he's about to become the next global titan…"
"…or Night City's about to burn."
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